Calibrachoa plant named ‘Cal Rostar’

ABSTRACT

A  Calibrachoa  cultivar particularly distinguished by flowers with a cream/white background and margins with red-purple petals and veining is disclosed.

Genus and species: Calibrachoa sp.

Variety denomination: ‘Cal Rostar’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofCalibrachoa, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Cal Rostar’. The new cultivaroriginated from a hybridization made in the year 2001 in Gilroy, Calif.The female parent was proprietary Calibrachoa breeding line 360-2(unpatented) with coral star flowers. The male parent was proprietaryCalibrachoa breeding line 388-2 (unpatented) with rose star flowers.

The new cultivar was created in 2001 in Gilroy, Calif. and has beenasexually reproduced over a two-and-a-half-year period by vegetativecuttings and tissue culture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, TheNetherlands. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif.,Litchfield, Mich. and Andijk, The Netherlands. ‘Cal Rostar’ has beenfound to retain its distinctive characteristics through successiveasexual propagations. ‘Cal Rostar’ reproduces true to type throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

Description of the genus Calibrachoa Llave & Lex

The genus Petunia was originally established in 1803 by A. L. Jussieu,who described both P. parviflora and P. nyctaginiflora as type species.Using a non-horticultural system that selected the first mentionedspecies as the type species (lectotype), N. L. Britton and H. A. Browndeclared P. parviflora as the type species for Petunia in 1913.

During the 1980's and 1990, H. J. Wijsman published a series of articlesregarding the ancestry of P. hybrida, the Garden Petunia, and theinter-relationship of several species classified as Petunia. Thesestudies discovered that P. hybrida and its ancestral species, P.nyctaginiflora (=P. axillaris) and P. violacea (=P. integrifolia),possessed 14 pairs of chromosomes while several other species, includingP. parviflora, possessed 18 pairs of chromosomes. Since P. parviflorawas the lectotype species for the Petunia genus, Wijsman and J. H. deJong proposed transferring the 14 chromosome species to the genusStimoryne. Horticulturists opposed reclassifying the Garden Petunia andin 1986, Wijsman proposed the alternative of making P. nyctaginiflorathe lectotype species for Petunia and transferring the 18 chromosomespecies to another genus. The I. N. G. Committee adopted this proposal.By 1990 Wijsman had transferred several species, including P. parviflora(=C. parviflora) to Calibrachoa, originally established by Llave andLexarza in 1825. Calibrachoa parviflora (=C. mexicana Llave & Lexarza)is now the type species for the genus Calibrachoa.

Classification of the current Petunia and Calibrachoa species is stillin progress. New species are also being identified. Consequently aproper description has not been written for the Calibrachoa genus.Calibrachoa can, however, be distinguished from Petunia based on thehigher chromosome number, chromosome morphology, plant branching habitand type of flower bud aestivation. Whereas Petunia species bear aflower peduncle and one new stem from a node, Calibrachoa species bear aflower peduncle and three stems. Petunia species have a cochlear corollabud, a single outermost petal which covers the other four, and radiallyfolded and terminally contorted petals. Calibrachoa flower buds are flatwith all five petals linearly folded with the two lower petals forming acover around the three other petals and fused together.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant; the colors shown areas true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographicprocedures. The photograph is of a three-month-old plant grown in alexan-covered greenhouse.

FIG. 1 shows overall plant habit while the inset photograph show acloser view of the mature inflorescence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Cal Rostar’. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inGilroy, Calif. The plant history was taken on four-month-old plantsgrown in one-gallon pots in a poly-covered greenhouse during the summerseason. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2001). Texturedescription data were collected by viewing plant parts with a dissectingmicroscope.

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.        -   Species.—Calibrachoa sp.-   Growth:    -   -   Form.—Semi upright and decumbent.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Good vigorous habit, well            branched, full plant.        -   Height.—5-10 cm.        -   Width.—55-65 cm.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—8-10 weeks.        -   Outdoors plant performance.—Does well in full sun; free            flowering through the summer; some heat tolerance. Used as a            hanging plant or in mixed containers.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—18-23 days.        -   Root description.—White, fibrous.-   Stems:    -   -   Color.—RHS 144A.        -   Length.—40-55 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2-0.25 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.5-1.8 cm.        -   Texture.—Glandular hairs of various sizes.        -   Anthocyanin.—None.        -   Peduncle.—Color: RHS 144A. Length: 1.5-2.0 cm. Diameter:            0.1 cm. Texture: Many glandular hairs of various sizes.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; upper leaves sub-opposite.        -   Leaf color. —Upper surface: RHS 137A. Lower surface: RHS            137D.        -   Length.—3.4-4.0 cm.        -   Width.—0.6-0.9 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblong/elliptic.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Acuminate.        -   Texture.—Many glandular hairs.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color.—RHS 144B.        -   Petiole.—Color: RHS 144B. Length: 0.2-0.3 cm. Width: 0.1 cm.            Texture: Many glandular hairs.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Color at tight bud.—RHS 3D.        -   Bud shape.—Oblong.        -   Bud diameter.—0.3-0.6 cm.        -   Bud length.—1.3-2.0 cm.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous throughout the growing season.            Good floriferousness.        -   Inflorescence type.—Flowers solitary in upper leaf axis.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms.—5-8 days.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Floret type.—Funnel form, 5 lobed petals, fused at base.        -   Flower diameter.—2.5 cm.        -   Flower depth.—1.7 cm.-   Flowers:    -   -   Immature flower.—Color, Upper surface: Main petal color            shades between RHS 63A & RHS 63B; petal margins of RHS            N155B. Main veins: RHS 59A. Secondary veins: RHS 61B.            Diameter: 2.2-2.4 cm.        -   Mature flower color.—Upper surface: Petal color between            shadings of RHS 63B and RHS 63C; RHS 64A at the corolla            opening; margins RHS N155B. Main veins: RHS 59B. Secondary            veins: A little lighter than RHS 61B.        -   Mature flower color.—Lower surface: Base color RHS N155D;            margins RHS 36D. Main veins: RHS 175A. Secondary veins: RHS            176C.        -   Corolla.—Tube color inside: RHS 11A; veins RHS 176C. Tube            color outside: RHS 11D. Tube length: 1.5 cm. Tube diameter            at opening: 0.7 cm. Texture: Glandular hairs at various            sizes.        -   Petals.—Shape: Spathulate. Apex: Rounded, some are            Mucronulate. Based: Fused. Margin: Entire. Waviness of            petals: None. Length: 1.1 cm. Width: 1.3 cm. Lobation:            Moderate. Texture: Papillose.        -   Sepals.—Number: 5. Color, Lower surface: RHS 137C. Length:            0.5-0.7 cm. Width: 0.3 cm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute.            Margin: Entire. Texture: Many glandular hairs of various            sizes.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—5; 2 taller, 3 shorter.        -   Filament color.—RHS 154C.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 8A.        -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.        -   Pistil.—1.        -   Pistil length.—0.9 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 143B.        -   Style color.—RHS 143C.        -   Fruit/seed set.—Not observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: Not observed.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

‘Cal Rostar’ differs from the female parent 360-2 (unpatented) by beingearlier to flower, more prostate and by having more basal branching.‘Cal Rostar’ differs from the male parent 388-2 (unpatented) by havinglarger flowers, more center flowering and darker green leaves.

‘Cal Rostar’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Mini Famous YellowLilac Star’ (U.S. Patent status unknown) by having a more compact planthabit, with larger, flatter flowers. In addition, the ‘Cal Rostar’flower has a cream/white background and margins with red-purple petalsand veining, while the ‘Mini Famous Yellow Lilac Star’ flower has ayellow background with only red-purple veining.

1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant as shown and described herein.